In short: A UGC contract template is only useful if it covers the same twelve points every time: who is involved, what is delivered, deadlines and revisions, approval, payment, the licence, ownership, disclosure, music, cancellation, confidentiality and governing law. This is a checklist with plain-language explanations and short illustrative wording, not a legal document to sign. It is for creators and brands making deals off Usicri.
Do you need a UGC contract?
For any paid job outside a platform, yes, a short written UGC agreement protects both sides. Contract guides put the rights terms at the centre: one says usage rights are “the heart of the contract”, and warns that a social-only licence does not allow paid advertising. Most disputes start from something nobody wrote down, such as revision rounds or where the video may run. This article gives you the clauses to raise. Have a lawyer check the final wording, because rules differ by country. See also UGC usage rights explained.
UGC contract template: 12 clauses to include
Each sample line is an illustration to show the idea, not a template to sign.
1. Parties and scope
Full legal names and contact details for both sides, plus a clear description of what is being created.
[Creator] will produce UGC video content for [Brand] for the product [name].
2. Deliverables and specs
One contract guide lists number of final videos, orientation, length and whether stills are included, plus alternate hooks and whether raw footage is included. Another adds resolution and file format. Filming details are in how to film UGC videos.
Two vertical 9:16 videos, 20–30 seconds each, edited final only; raw footage not included.
3. Deadlines and revisions
Guides recommend a first-draft date, consolidated feedback, one or two revision rounds included, and a new fee for a new concept.
Draft due [date]. Brand returns one consolidated set of feedback within 48 hours. Two revision rounds are included.
4. Approval and rejection
Tie payment to acceptance, and say what counts as a valid reason to reject and how long the brand has to decide.
Brand will accept the video or state in writing what does not meet the brief within [5] days.
5. Payment: amount, timing, late payment
State the fee, the method, the schedule and any conditions. One guide’s example pays within 30 days of invoice with a late fee of 5% per week up to 20%; use figures you both accept.
Brand pays [amount] within [30] days of receiving the invoice; late payment is subject to [late fee].
6. Licence
Spell out channels (organic, paid ads, website, email, marketplace, whitelisting), duration, territory and exclusivity. One guide suggests keeping exclusivity narrow, with a defined category and period, and asks whether AI training or remixes are allowed. Whitelisting means the brand runs ads through the creator’s own account, so it needs its own terms.
Non-exclusive licence for [organic and paid social], [worldwide], for [12 months]. Whitelisting is not included.
7. Ownership and portfolio rights
A guide describes three models: work for hire (the brand owns), licensing (the creator owns and grants rights) and moral rights. Creators should also state whether they may show the work in their portfolio.
Creator remains the owner and may show the finished video in their portfolio.
8. Disclosure and claims
The FTC says it is the influencer’s responsibility to disclose material connections, and not to rely on others. Agree who supplies the permitted product claims; see UGC disclosure rules.
Creator will label the content as required by law where it is published. Brand supplies the claims the creator may make.
9. Music and third-party material
A rights guide has the creator warrant that the content does not infringe third-party rights. Say whether music is allowed at all.
Creator will not include music or material they do not have the right to use.
10. Termination and cancellation fee
Cover notice periods, what happens to finished work and the cancellation (kill) fee, a percentage of the agreed fee if the project is cancelled.
If Brand cancels after work has started, Creator is paid [percentage] of the fee.
11. Confidentiality
Protect product information, marketing plans and financial details, and define scope, duration and exceptions.
Each party keeps the other’s non-public information confidential for [period].
12. Governing law
Name the country or state whose law applies, where disputes are heard, and whether mediation comes first.
This agreement is governed by the laws of [country]; disputes are heard in [place].
What to agree in writing
| Topic | Questions to settle | Common options |
|---|---|---|
| Deliverables | How many, what length, raw footage? | Edited final only, or plus raw |
| Revisions | How many rounds, what is extra? | One or two included |
| Payment | Amount, due date, late fee? | Flat fee, or performance-based |
| Licence | Which channels, how long, where? | Organic only, or paid ads |
| Exclusivity | Which category, how long? | None, or narrow and time-limited |
| Whitelisting | Whose account, how long, who ends it? | Excluded, or separate fee and term |
| Ownership | Who owns, portfolio use? | Creator owns and licenses |
| Cancellation | Notice and kill fee? | Percentage of the fee |
UGC creator agreement: what creators should check
- The licence matches the fee. Licence length, exclusivity and rush delivery change the price, as covered in UGC rates.
- Paid-ad use and whitelisting are written down and priced, not assumed.
- The payment date, and what happens if it is missed, are in writing.
UGC contract for brands: what brands should check
- The licence covers what you actually plan to do, such as paid ads or your product page.
- The brief states length, message and rights; the UGC brief template is a starting point.
- Any exclusivity is narrow and time-limited, and approval dates are set.
Free UGC contract templates from vendors are available online, and the guides we read offer them. Use them as a starting point and adapt them to your deal and your country.
On Usicri
On Usicri no separate contract is needed for the licence. Once a video is approved and paid, the brand gets a non-exclusive, worldwide licence without time limit that covers advertising, set out in section 5 of the Terms of Service. The creator remains the owner and may show approved videos in their own portfolio. Ads run through the creator’s own account (whitelisting) are not included.
Anything outside that, including deals made directly between a brand and a creator off the platform, needs its own written agreement. Usicri does not check videos or campaigns for advertising-law compliance; each side does that itself.
Quick checklist
- Names, product and scope are written down.
- Deliverables, specs, deadlines and revision rounds are stated.
- Approval process and payment terms are clear.
- Licence channels, duration, territory, exclusivity and whitelisting are settled.
- Ownership and portfolio use are agreed.
- Disclosure, claims and music are covered.
- Cancellation fee, confidentiality and governing law are included.